I thoroughly enjoyed this intriguing family drama which covered many themes including mystery, family secrets, addiction and sexuality. The two main characters, sisters Penny and Victoria lead very different lives - both affected in their different ways by an incident back in their childhood which slowly reveals as the story progresses. Victoria is wealthy and doesn't need to work as she is supported by her husband. However, she is troubled by demons from her past doubtless contributing to her addiction to Valium. Her sister, on the other hand, struggles to make ends meet working hard to keep her family fed and a roof over their heads. It annoyed me that her husband appeared to be content to let her carry their financial burdens whilst he (occasionally) indulged himself with his painting and (regularly) with his passion for smoking dope. How Penny just seemed to accept this situation made me want to give her a good shake. The girls' mother, Marge, a manipulative and meddling woman, constantly played her daughters off against each other often lying and scheming to cause trouble. I could never work out what she hoped to gain by this. There were parts of the book that seemed slow and drawn out with much dialogue but little action and I was impatient for the story to get back on track but overall this was a gripping and enjoyable book with a satisfactory conclusion. My thanks to Netgalley and Amazon Publishing UK for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book.

I loved everything about this book especially the characters and plot. Highly recommend this to anyone who is into such a creative story.

A really good story about family rivalry, secrets and lies. There are strong characters in this book and their stories are well written. My only criticism is I thought that it was a bit slow in places.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

This was the first book I've read from this author and it was just okay. It was hard for me to get into and the characters didn't keep my attention.

Bottle of Tears is a good story with a lot of family drama and deals a lot with mental illness.
The characters are memorable and there is some humor in the storyline. This book was hard to put down.
Thanks NetGalley, Amazon Publishing UK and Lake Union Publishing foe the ARC.

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. 2 sisters who are totally different with a different outlook. Good read and would recommend.

I really liked this book. The writing was great and I loved the story of the two sisters and their different lives. I related to this book when it came to mental illness. It talks about everything from anxiety, depression to sexuality. I really enjoyed this and so glad more authors are writing about mental illness.

Thank you Netgalley, the author and publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was given a free copy in exchange for an honest review. The book starts with a prologue to set the scene, we know something has happened to little Penny but we don't know what.
The rest of the book explains it all and is told through the eyes of Penny and her sister Victoria. There is much talk of valium and dope and therapy, which is not really my sort of book. I understand why the author put this in, however there was too much angst and was not the family drama I was expecting. The ending seemed rushed.

Having just finished Nick Alexanders previous novel, 'You then, me now" I couldn't wait to get started on his latest one 'The Bottle of Tears'. This book was wonderful, I seriously could not put it down, has to be one of his best so far. I loved the characters and the fact that he dealt with so many relatable issues. Family, friendship, sexuality, death, depression, addiction, and so much more. Penny and Vicky are sisters with a past, although Penny is yet to fully understand the issues of her past, and unfortunately learns some of it a little too late. Each feel jealous of the other for various reasons; Penny has a laid back lifestyle, with an artist husband, two kids and a home on the beach - Vicky has a beautiful upscale flat in London, a handsome husband and teenage son and they are not short of a penny, meaning Vicky doesn't need to work, unlike Penny who works all the hours and still struggles to make ends meet. Their mother loves them both dearly, but there is an underlying issue which comes out toward the latter part of the book. There is lots of drama in this novel, some humour, a lot of lovable characters, and a truly memorable storyline. Highly recommended.

I have seen many books by this author and have passed them by! I’m so glad this one really caught my eye. A rare insight into what really goes on within families. Two sisters with very different lives who have an emotional connection that they feel they can never share. A lot of sensitive subjects were handled very well by the author and it helped me luck at some of things I need help with. Thanks Nick i’ll be reading again.

If I could rate The Bottle of Tears more than five stars then I would.
The book just felt so real for me. Lots of things reminded me of my life growing up, of falling out with my sister so much growing up.and of losing someone before you got the chance to tell them how you feel.
Reading this book has come at the right time in my life, so I thank you Nick Alexander for such a brilliant read.

The Bottle of Tears is the first book I’ve picked up this year which felt distinctly like a Summer read. Set in both London and the Kent coast, we sway between the accounts of sisters Penny and Victoria as they slowly, angrily, painfully, drive memories of one terrible Christmas to a bubbling surface. These terrible recollections are buried deep, and with the interference of their inexplicably manipulative and meddling mother who seems set on pitting the sisters against one another, communication is lacking and answers do not come until very late in the narrative. For that reason, much of the novel’s tension comes from the fact that the sisters naturally clash – Penny is a financially struggling psychologist who cannot persuade her artist-cum-stoner husband to keep house, whereas OCD-prone Victoria plays housewife to her incredibly wealthy husband while nursing a badly hidden Valium addiction. Throw in Marge, their mysteriously malicious mother, whispering falsehoods in both sets of ears, and there is more than enough venom to spit across the table at a dinner party without the presence of That Christmas.

When I say that this novel felt like a Summer read, I mean that in the sense of the fact that it took a single afternoon to read, and didn’t require much thought. I could imagine myself lounging in the back garden with a nondescript fruity cider and sleepily skimming The Bottle of Tears. Many of the narrative beats and gotcha! moments were predictable, and Alexander’s writing style is more that of a narrator than a descriptor. While that makes this novel very easy to get through and process, it also makes it feel a little bare. However, much of the development comes from the characters, through their conversations and memories, so the lack of descriptive text is made up for by an emphasis on dialogue. This is certainly a work occupied with the importance of talking, of trusting and revealing.

Unfortunately for a character drama, The Bottle of Tears does not show strength in its characters. They are neither unique nor sympathetic, even at their very worst and most tragic moments. The only people I felt any pity for or felt like I could get behind were Victoria’s husband, Michael, and her son, Bertie, who do not get enough time within the text to really establish themselves. Bertie gets more attention than his father, but the coming out narrative of which he is the principal player is poorly imagined, and actually made me a little angry at times. The fact that Alexander is known mostly for writing LGBT fiction was a cause of genuine shock for me when I discovered it, especially when utterances such as “[he wants to study] Fashion Design? He’s not gay as well is he?” and “we’re all jealous of you and your [gay best friend] Will” pop up more often than they should without any commentary or indication that these are harmful perceptions to have. The LGBT aspect of The Bottle of Tears feels very much like it was written to be accessible to only-mildly homophobic straight people, and I would recommend that this be revised because it is by far its biggest detriment and shaved off a full two stars for me.

I would recommend The Bottle of Tears to those who want a good helping of drama presented in a neatly wrapped package which doesn’t require too much elbow grease to unwrap. I just think I needed a little more filling.

Formulaic family drama. Not to say there's no good reading here, just typical and expected. Not an unpleasant read on a rainy day.

An excellent read with a good story line and characters that I soon got involved with. I did find parts of the book were a bit slow but overall a good read and I can recommend.

Thank you to Netgalley and Amazon Publishing for giving me the opportunity to read this book

Thank you NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK for the eARC.
This is a wonderful book, I loved it!
The story starts Christmas 1975 with Marge, the mother, and her three children welcome back Uncle Cecil, who brightens their lives with treats and presents. But something horrendous occurs, and Uncle Cecil leaves not to be seen for 40 years.
Fast forward to today and we meet Penny and Victoria, the two daughters, and their families. Penny doesn't remember much about that fateful Christmas, but Victoria has spent her life still reeling from that day, addicted to Valium, as she fights OCD and worried about her son Bertie.
Marge, Penny and Victoria are planning their Christmas dinner, a contentious affair that ends up with the two sisters not speaking.
Penny is the most likeable, but I did get impatient with the way she allows her husband to squander his life away while she works hard and worries about paying their bills. Marge is quite a nasty character, I felt she needed a good slap. Victoria is a train wreck barely hanging on.
As events unfold, it's impossible to put the book down...
Sad, moving and thoughtful, with a very satisfying ending, I highly recommend this book.